Culture blow

Copenhagen, Oct. 24 (AP): A Danish court today upheld a ruling by a lower court that Sikhs cannot carry knives for religious reasons.

Denmark’s eastern high court confirmed a decision by Copenhagen city court last year that convicted Ripudaman Singh of violating a Danish arms law that prohibits carrying knives with blades longer than 7 cm in public places.

Singh repeatedly carried the ritual dagger called kirpan in hiswaist band. The eastern high court said the initial ruling was not a violation of human rights because “the clampdown on such an arms possession was necessary in a democratic society that takes public safety into consideration”.

However, the court annulled a 3,000 kroner (US$500) fine handed down in the original ruling, saying Singh’s religious reason for carrying the knife was “an extenuating circumstance”.